Race Recap: Rutgers UNITE Half Marathon 2015

I signed up to run the Rutgers UNITE 2015 Half Marathon on April 12 to kill two birds with one stone: Visit my family in New Jersey and run a tune-up race to test out race preparation, gear, pacing, and fueling strategies for my quickly approaching first marathon in May.

On the bus ride from Boston to NJ, I wrote down the following goals:

1. Start conservatively.
2. Practice fueling, gear, and pacing by feeling.
3. Finish strong.
4. Build confidence for marathon. 

Before I re-hash my own race day experience, I must talk about...

THE COURSE

This is how the official race website describes the half marathon course:
"This course is 13.1 miles of collegiate beauty that will take your breath away. Rutgers University is one of the oldest, largest and most beautiful campuses in the country. The UNITE Half Marathon at Rutgers does indeed UNITE runners of all abilities from elite to novice.

The point to point route passes by the recently renovated Rutgers Stadium, historic College Ave Gym and finishes down College Avenue to thousands of fans!"

Now, I love Rutgers University. New Jersey is my home. My grandmother and sister are both proud Rutgers alums. It's a fantastic university. But, let's not kid ourselves here. The only thing about Rutgers that will take your breath away is the smell of the Raritan River. The course was flat and fast and I enjoyed seeing places on campus I remembered visiting. I suppose it was sort of point to point, in that it started in one place and ended in another...but it looped around, crossed itself, and had no fewer than 4 hairpin turns. Yes, it did finish down College Avenue. In front of maybe a couple hundred fans and one group of frat bros playing Cornhole.

Don't let my cynicism deter you from signing up for this race! The dinginess and Eu De Pork Roll are part of Rutgers' charm! I merely wish to share my bemusement about the liberally scenic description of New Brunswick, NJ.

All right, on to the recap!

PRE-RACE
I snapped awake in my step sister's twin bed to the sound of my alarm at 5:15. Being unabashedly Type-A, I had laid out all of my clothing and gear the night before (with my bib already pinned to my shirt and my race fuel packed in tiny Ziploc bags). I got dressed in under a minute.

I crept downstairs, trying not to wake my dad's puppy, and prepared my tried-and-true pre-race sprouted grain english muffin with almond butter and banana. I felt surprisingly hungry and washed breakfast down quickly with a big glass of water. I crawled back into bed with my alarm set for 6:30, but got up at least three times before the alarm went off to use the bathroom. Three cheers for pre-race nerves! I attempted to calm said nerves by listening to some relaxation music on my headphones while staring at the ceiling.

At 7:10, with my backpack jam-packed for the inevitable end-of-day bus ride back to Boston, my sister and I pulled out of the driveway to make the 30-minute drive to Rutgers University and the start line at Busch campus. Have I mentioned how much I love my sister? She hauled my hobo butt around all weekend long and stood around waiting to cheer me on at the race. She's pretty great.

RACE START
At 7:45, my sister dropped me off as close as she could to the race start at Werblin Rec Center on Rutgers Busch Campus. She planned to drive over to park near the finish area at College Ave. I jogged my way to the port-a-potties, but quickly calculated that it was not worth risking a late start to wait in the massive queue.

The starting chute had pace leaders holding signs for each predicted pace group from 8 minutes/mile to 11 minutes/mile, but there were no official corrals and 3000 runners were sardined between metal gates lining the chute, so it was impossible to push my way forward without being a big jerk. I lined up next to the 11 minute sign, accepted the fact that it would take me several minutes to cross the start line and prepared myself for a first mile of bobbing and weaving through runners. I squished my new Jaybird wireless headphones into my ears and set my Garmin while the race announcer readied us over the loudspeaker. Conditions were nearly ideal for a race: Sunny, temps in the low 50s, no wind, flat course.

MILES 1-3
Bob and weave, I did. The gun went off at about 8:10, and I crossed the Start line a few minutes later. The lateral exercises I've been incorporating in my training came in handy as I side stepped around runners and burst forward through any seam I could find. We ran over potholey roads in an area my sister referred to as "The Livingston Warehouses". I focused on creating myself space in Mile 1 and then settling in to a conservative, but challenging pace in Miles 2 & 3. The miles were well marked with large flags, but there were no clocks. This was just as well, since I was attempting to pace this race by feel instead of by clock. Fewer distractions to obsess over.

MILES 4-6
Just after the Mile 4 marker, the course looped on itself in the opposite direction, so we could see runners starting in on their mile 2. Between miles 4 & 5 I passed a little girl holding up a poster board sign with a big star in the middle and the magic-markered words "Press Here for Power!" Little girl, you are awesome. And you gave me some serious power! I managed to avoid looking at my watch for this stretch.

MILES 7-10
After passing the Mile 6 marker we crossed back over the start line, running in the opposite direction past the rec center, before turning down a driveway and making our first hairpin turn around Mile 7. More than halfway! I pulled out the carefully packed fuel from my shorts pocket and promptly fumbled the homemade, delicious date puree packet to the pavement. No time for stops. Fortunately, I did not drop the Honey Stinger chews I'd packed as backup and I chomped a few of these down as I carried on. I spotted my dad on the side of the road between Miles 8 & 9 and gave him a toothy grin and a wave. Feeling pretty great here, I finally allowed myself look down at my watch. It occurred to me I might actually be lining up a PR. We crossed a "scenic" highway overpass. Mile 10 was spent on a bike path in Johnson park that had two hairpin turnarounds.

MILES 11-13.1
Somewhere around Mile 11, we crossed over the beautiful Raritan River before running a circle around a gazebo in Buchlech park. Still feeling surprisingly comfortable, I decided to let it fly and smiled smugly to myself as I passed two women I'd been trailing for the last three miles. I don't feel the least big guilty for being smug. It's a race, dammit! Once we exited the park, I knew I had less than a half mile to go. There was a small hill that felt big up College Ave, and then an all out downhill sprint to the finish line, where I grinned at my dad and sister.

RESULTS
Apparently, the "conservative" and "run by feeling" approaches suit me. I ran a PR of 1:34:50, finishing 8th overall for women and 1st in my age division. Conditions were nearly perfect for racing. By not being fixated on clocks and watches and splits, I was able to push the pace and stay relaxed at the same time. Huge confidence boost going into my last 6 weeks of marathon training!

Running a half marathon totally solo was a novel experience for me. I am so grateful to my dad and sister, who came out in the early morning to cheer me on!

I did find myself wondering about the weird post-race food bag I was handed at the athlete tent...

Who wants to stand around eating canned peaches in syrup and warmish yogurt with a spoon at the finish line of a half marathon? What's wrong with a banana?

I know that sounds awfully whiny, so I'll counter it by saying I dug the hefty and impressive finisher medal and am always thrilled to add a mug to my collection.

After the race, the kind folks at the front desk of the College Ave Gym were kind enough to let me dodge into the locker room for a quick shower. I'm sure the guy next to me on the 4 1/2 hour bus ride back to Boston appreciated this! I will admit that a 4 1/2 hour bus ride after a half marathon probably wasn't the most advisable decision. But, hey, had to get home somehow.

It was a good day.

And, extra bonus - I didn't realize I'd won my age group until I received a surprise package two weeks after the race. A huge age group winner medal!

Almond Date Truffles

Let's talk about dates.

Not just any dates. Not your run-of-the-mill common date or deglet date. Not the kind of date that tastes fine enough but is really just a glorified raisin sold in a plastic pouch. I'm talking about the crown jewel of dates. I'm talking about medjool dates.

When I come across good ones at the store, I absolutely cannot resist buying. Amber brown, big and plump and sticky and sweet. Lots of athletic nutrition nerds hail them as "nature's fuel" because they're full of glucose for fast energy as a pre- or during-workout snack. I like to think that justifies me eating them like candy for an any-time-of-day snack.

I've been eyeing almond date ball recipes around the web for ages, but I've never gotten to testing one out. Probably because my dates never last long enough in the fridge to make their way into a recipe. There are tons of date ball recipes out there, and this recipe from Sara Forte at Sprouted Kitchen is a pretty classic version.

I saved mine to enjoy in celebration after Juan Agudelo's excellent goal in the New England Revolution's Saturday night win over Columbus Crew.

They're delicious. You should make some.

Almond Date Truffles
Makes 18
Recipe by Sara Forte, Sprouted Kitchen

Ingredients

• 20 medjool dates, halved and pits removed
• 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
• 1/3 cup almond butter
• 1/3 cup unsweetened shredded coconut
• 1/3 cup natural cocoa powder (or cacao if you can find it)
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 1/3 cup toasted almonds, finely chopped

Preparation

1. Put the dates and vanilla in a food processor and run until a chunky paste forms. Add the almond butter and pulse a few more times. Add the coconut, cocoa powder, salt and cinnamon, and pulse again. The mixture should be a tad crumbly, but press between your fingers and stick together. If it seems too wet to hold in a ball, add more coconut, if too dry, add a touch more almond butter or a splash of water. 
2. Roll a heaping tablespoon of the mixture between your palms to form a ball. Repeat with remaining mixture. Put your chopped almonds on a plate and roll each truffle in the almonds (apply a bit of pressure to get them to adhere). Place the plate in the fridge to chill for at least an hour. Truffles will keep covered in the fridge for a couple weeks.

I rolled a few of my truffles in unsweetened coconut flakes instead of almonds. You could be creative here. I bet they'd taste great rolled in a mixture of cocoa powder, cinnamon, and a teeny pinch of cayenne pepper. Or in pistachios. Or sesame seeds. Or you could mix a little instant espresso powder in with the paste before forming balls. Possibilities are endless! 

18 Miles of Running Mantras

As I dip my toes into the ocean of distance running, I've begun to spend a lot of time alone with my brain and body. I'm learning that I can either let my brain be the boss of my body, or I can use my brain to be the boss of my body.

There is often a moment in a long run where it feels a little terrible and a lot impossible.
It's that low point where my legs start to feel like lead and a sneaky voice hiding in my brain seeps in with negative thoughts, telling my body:

You can't hold this pace.
Slow down.
You can't do this.

Why do you do this to yourself anyway? You should quit.

The voice does its best to fill me with doubt and worry when I'm tired and scared of the unknown.

The Oatmeal comic artist/ ultramarathoner Matthew Inman refers to this voice The Blerch.

When endless piles of knee-deep snow forced my first month of long marathon training runs to the treadmill in the basement of the YMCA this winter, I couldn't imagine how I could possibly make it through the miles of staring at a concrete wall on a human hamster wheel. Enter The Blerch. But, then, I started to discover that I could Beat The Blerch if I took control of my own voice. If I made my voice keep repeating the things I wanted to hear, my body listened. I reminded myself that running is something I do because it feels good. The Blerch faded to white noise. And so, my cheesy love of running mantras was born.

My running mantras tend to fall into one of three categories:

1. Body Cues
2. Dedications
3. Motivators

Body Cues are the least emotional and most rational type of mantra I use. I repeatedly tell my body what I want it to do, in simple and specific terms. This helps me find and maintain form and rhythm. I use a body cue mantra to start off my run and then later if I start to feel my form breaking down. Body cues are also especially helpful when I'm really struggling to be positive. Yeah, maybe I feel like crap. And maybe I can't fool myself with a half-hearted, "You're almost there!" mantra. At least I can muster a concrete and logical physical instruction. Some of my go-to body cues include:

Quick, light steps. 
Elbows back.
Shoulders over hips. Hips over knees.
Breathe In. Breathe Out. This one's a tried-and-true classic, with good reason. It's the easiest to focus on.

Dedications are the for the miles where I step outside what my body is experiencing for a moment to think about the people I love. Running is a pretty selfish pursuit of mine. More often than not, I do it alone, on my own terms, because it  makes only me feel good. Well, dedicating miles to others is admittedly self-serving, too. Thinking about the awesome people I have in my corner inspires me to keep moving forward. And dogs. Duncan pretty much always gets a mental shout out when I'm running.

Motivators are my positive self-talk mantras. They're often on the touchy-feely side. Sometimes they're silly. Other times they're pop culture references. And sometimes (okay, a lot of times) my motivators are merely thoughts of the good food I will eat when I get home, because I most certainly feel motivated by imagining myself shoveling a slice of pizza in my face. Whichever words I choose to repeat, I've found that thinking about what I want to happen is far more effective than thinking about avoiding what I don't want to happen, so it's imperative that I phrase things in the positive. "Bring it home." is more motivating to me than "Don't give up." Though they're saying essentially the same thing, "Don't give up." lets The Blerch tell my body that quitting is a possibility. Some of my current favorite motivating mantras include:

Hit Cruise Control. Despite having read a thousand running articles advising me to start longer races conservatively to save fuel for negative splits in the latter miles, I inevitably bound off when the gun fires and start running faster than I should. So at mile 3 or 4, I make it a point to find a settled pace and cruise. Extra bonus if I plan my Spotify playlist well enough that Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers  Runnin' Down A Dream comes on while I'm repeating this mantra.

Stay on Target. This is how I tell myself to maintain a steady pace when I kinda start to drag. Yes, that's right. I am referring to this:

You can stand anything for 10 seconds. 
This is a new mantra I've just adopted from the quotable Netflix show The Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt. Kimmy's motto is to take everything in life 10 seconds at a time. Then, if you make it through 10 seconds, start a new 10 seconds! Kimmy developed her 10 seconds mantra for survival while kidnapped in an underground bunker...but it works for me when I feel overwhelmed (in running or life).

PIZZA, PIZZA, PIZZA!  Can easily be substituted with: PANCAKES, PANCAKES, PANCAKES! or BAGEL, BAGEL, BAGEL!

Release the Kraken! This catchphrase is called out by Zeus in the 1981 film The Clash Of The Titans (and by Liam Neeson in the 2010 3D remake). I shout it silently to myself near the end miles of the run or race when I allow myself to cut the reins and run no-holds-barred. It's usually the most exhilarating part of my run.

Bring it Home. I end each run by bossing my body with The Boss in mind.

Decide what to be and go be it. This lyric from the Avett Brothers song Head Full of Doubt, Road Full of Promise finds its way into my brain every single time I'm running. Of all of the mantras I use, this is my favorite and the one that makes me feel the most feelings. It also gets me out the door when my alarm goes off at 5:00 am and it's cold and raining and I don't feel like running. Repeating it to myself reminds me that all the things I choose to do are, in fact, my own choices. I decide. Most of what I hope to accomplish will take a lot of work. I can do work.

To tackle my first-ever 18-miler on Friday, I wrote down a planned mantra for each mile on a piece of paper and shoved it in the zipper pocket of my handheld water bottle. As you can from the cross outs, some of the mantras went by the wayside while I ran. Miles 9-11 are frequently my tough miles. At mile 9, my body felt fine, but my brain was struggling. The funny thing is, now that I've been practicing this strategy for a few months, the saying my body needs to hear just pops into my head when I need it.

For more on running mantras:

A Runner's World piece on Magic Mantras
A podcast from Marathon Training Academy about Marathon Pacing (credit to this podcast for giving me the mantras "Release the Kraken" and "I eat hills for breakfast.")

Tofu Scramble Breakfast Burritos

The early season New England Revolution home games at Gillette Stadium are often scheduled to kickoff in the afternoon instead of the evening. Presumably, this is in effort to maximize the possibility that the game will be played in temperatures suitable for humans to stand around outside for prolonged periods. In Saturday's case, the three o'clock kickoff did little to help the fact that the wind was whipping wet, sideways snow in my hair and eyeballs.

On the plus side, an early kickoff meant that tailgating would start at noon. This seemed like obvious encouragement to serve tailgate brunch. Given the discomfort associated with cold, wet hands and cold, wet ingredients, I didn't want to spend much time actually doing prep work at the tailgate. So I opted for tofu scramble breakfast burritos, which could be prepared entirely ahead of time and quickly heated in tinfoil on the grill. Chris is not a huge "tofu scramble" fan and prefers a good old-fashioned egg scramble, but I happen to really enjoy the taste and texture of a tofu scramble. There are many, many variations of tofu scrambles out there. Here's a recipe for my version of breakfast burritos.

Tofu Scramble Breakfast Burritos
Makes 4 burritos

Ingredients

• 1 Tbsp olive oil
• 1 medium yellow onion, diced
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 10 ounces cremini mushrooms, thinly sliced
• 1 jalapeno pepper, seeded and minced
• 1 green bell pepper, diced
• 1/2 a zucchini, diced
• 1 tablespoon cumin
• 1 teaspoon turmeric
• 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
• 1 block firm tofu, drained and pressed
• 4 tablespoons nutritional yeast flakes
• Salt & pepper, to taste
• 1/2 cup refried beans
• 1/2 avocado, sliced
• 2 cups spinach or other leafy green
• optional toppings: cilantro, salsa, chopped green onions, hot sauce

Preparation

1. Drain water from tofu. Wrap in a few layers of paper towel and place between two plates. Weigh down top plate with some cookbooks or a heavy skillet to press out excess water for at least 10 minutes.
2. Meanwhile, heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Saute onion until translucent, about 3-5 minutes. Add garlic and cook until fragrant (1 minute). Add cumin, turmeric, and smoked paprika, stirring to combine. Lower heat slightly and add mushrooms, jalapeno, bell pepper, zucchini. Saute for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. 
3. Using your hands, crumble in tofu. Add nutritional yeast, salt and pepper and stir gently to combine. Saute for an additional 5 minutes, or until heated through. 
4. Spread a spoonful of refried beans, a few slices of avocado and a handful of spinach on a tortilla. Top with about 3/4 cup tofu and veggie mixture and top with your favorite burrito toppings. Carefully fold up tortilla.
5. If you're not eating it right away (as in, perhaps you are taking your burrito to eat at a tailgate later), wrap the burrito in tinfoil and refrigerate. When you're ready to go, you can toss it on the grill to heat up quickly. 

After stuffing my burritos, I had a considerable amount of leftover tofu veggie filling. If you use larger tortillas you may be able to squeeze in some more filling to each burrito...though you should know that the extra filling was delicious eaten straight out of the skillet with a fork and a splash of hot sauce. I served my burritos with grilled sweet potato wedges, which I parboiled for two minutes at home before tossing with some cumin, chili powder, paprika, oregano and garlic powder and packing in a glass container. I was able to drop the wedges directly on the hot grill to get some nice crispy grill marks before serving.

We wolfed down our burritos with numb fingers and then hunkered in the car with the heat blasting in attempt to regain sensation before trudging in to the stadium. In what appeared to be an attempt at a cruel joke, the Beach Boys Kokomo was drifting over the PA system as we found our way to our seats. And then: Miracle of miracles! Chris called in a favor, and our ticket rep/hero Kyle showed up with club level tickets. 

Meaning I got to watch the game from inside a heated room, standing behind a glass wall. I didn't even care that popcorn-smeared, unattended children were crawling around my feet, treating the club like some sort of McDonald's Play Place.

And the Revs finally won, by a score of 2-1. Please ignore the sad emptiness of the stadium.

16 miles + A Post Run Recovery Smoothie Recipe

Folks, we have officially entered uncharted territory. Before (foolishly?) deciding to sign up for my first marathon, the farthest I had ever run was 14 miles. Now, 8 weeks into marathon training, I have just officially completed my first 16 miler.

16.38 miles at 8:05 minutes per mile, to be exact. And it wouldn't be a long run without some snow, so we had a bit of that. I elected to follow the marathon route for a good stretch of my run, both so that I could get some practice with mid-run hills and because I knew that this morning loads of Boston Marathoners would be out getting in the Last Long Run before the race. It was incredibly energizing to be surrounded (at 7 am on a Saturday in the March snow) by hundreds of other runners. As I gritted my teeth and pumped my legs up Heartbreak Hill, a pair of runners shouted across the street, "You got this!"

Thanks, running guys. That really made me feel good.

I was inexact in my route plan mileage calculation, so when I hit 16 miles I was still a half mile from home. At first, I kept running (hence the .38). And then, I had this moment:

So I walked the rest of the way home.

Recovery after a long run is a serious deal to me.
In this morning's case, recovery = Legs up the wall. Ice on the foot. International soccer on TV. Bagelsuarus and carrot turmeric protein smoothie in my belly.

Duncan joined me for a bit of relaxing.

If you are a) puzzled by or b) scoffing at my "carrot turmeric protein smoothie", I take no offense to your skepticism. I am not a nutritionist, nor will I claim to have conducted exhaustive research on efficacy of various recovery foods/drinks/supplements.

I do know that turmeric has long been used in Ayudervic and Chinese medicines to treat pain (among other ailments). And that many papers have been written about the anti-inflammatory properties of curcumin, a component in the turmeric root.

I did not arrive at the decision to add a protein supplement to my diet overnight, and I will not suggest that it is the right choice for anyone but myself. If you want to know more about how and why I came to start adding protein powder (or to tell me reasons why I shouldn't take a supplement) feel free to ask me about it. For today, I'll just share that I do take a protein powder as part of my post-workout nutrition. After testing out many types and brands of both plant-based and whey protein sources, I've landed on Vega Sport Performance Protein. Of those I've experimented with, it has by far the best taste and texture and I like that it's a multi-source, plant-based powder with 25 grams of protein per serving. In this smoothie, you can swap in your protein supplement of choice or omit it all together if protein powder is not your jam. It's still a delicious smoothie.

Carrot Turmeric Protein Smoothie
(adapted from Vega)

Ingredients

• 1/2 tsp ground turmeric
• 1 tsp grated fresh ginger
• 1/2 cup grated carrot
• 1/2 cup frozen pineapple
• 1/2 frozen banana
• 1 cup coconut water (Harmless Harvest is my fave)
• 1 scoop Vega Sport Performance Protein Vanilla (totally optional - see note)

Preparation

1. Blend it all up
2. Enjoy 45-60 minutes post workout

I'm off to Gillette Stadium to watch the Revs take on the San Jose Earthquakes, in the snow!

DIY Miso Ginger Veggie Pot Noodles

Last Saturday, the New England Revolution played their MLS home opener against the Montreal Impact. Technically, it is now Spring. This is what a Saturday morning "Spring" run looked like in Boston:

Yup. As of March 21st, we've piled up 110.3 inches of snow in Boston this winter, with absolutely no sign of Spring in sight. 

Needless to say, a warm, belly-filling meal was a must for our first shivery afternoon of the 2015 season in the parking lot of Gillette Stadium. I've been eyeing DIY Pot Noodles since a friend gifted me Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall's River Cottage Veg over a year ago. If you're in the market for a vegetarian cookbook, it's a great one.

The concept of instant pot noodles is so simple, I can't believe I haven't tried it before: Pile up your soup ingredients in a jar, omitting any liquid. When you're ready to serve, pour boiling water into the jar, seal it for three minutes, and Ta-Da! Hot fresh soup! In the case of the wayward tailgater, all this took was boiling a tea kettle filled with water on my grill. All the convenience of instant Cup Noodles, except with infinitely better ingredients and flavor. 

Note: I recommend using very thin, quick-cooking noodles. I went with Annie Chun's Maifun Brown Rice Noodles. They were fully cooked after resting in the hot water for only 3 minutes. 

This recipe is based on a variation from the River Cottage Veg recipe created by J. Kenji Lopez-Alt at Serious Eats. I followed the recipe almost exactly, making only two additions. I added a block of lite firm tofu (pressed and diced) to make the soup more filling and was considerably more generous with my vegetable portions than suggested. Because I love spinach. 

On to the recipe!

DIY Miso Ginger Veggie Pot Noodles

Recipe by adapted, slightly, from J. Kenji Lopez-Alt at Serious Eats

Yield: 4 servings

Ingredients

• 2 tsp fresh ginger, grated
• 8 tsp miso paste
• 8 tsp vegetable base, such as Better Than Bouillon
• 4 Tbsp tahini
• 2 tsp sesame seeds, toasted
• 4 tsp soy sauce
• 2 cups shredded carrots
• 4 oz shitake mushroom caps, thinly sliced
• 3 cups roughly torn fresh baby spinach leaves
• 1 14 oz block firm tofu
• 4 oz quick cooking rice noodles (see note in original post)
• 1 cup fresh green onions, thinly sliced
• 1/2 cup pickled ginger (optional)

Cooking Directions

1. Drain tofu. Wrap it in a few layers of paper towel and place between two plates. Lay 1 or 2 heavy cookbooks on top of plates to press liquid from tofu for at least 15 minutes. (Alternatively, if you own a tofu press, go ahead and use that.) Dice the tofu.
2. Divide grated ginger, miso paste, vegetable base, tahini, sesame seeds, soy sauce, carrots, mushrooms, spinach, tofu and noodles evenly between 4 resealable glass jars. Season lightly with salt and pepper.
3. Divide green onions and pickled ginger between 4 small zipper-lock bags and seal bags, squeezing out all of the air. Tuck a bag into the top of each jar and seal lids. Refrigerate for up to 4 days.
4. When you're ready to serve your pot noodles, remove green onion/ginger packet and add boiling water the jar until noodles are fully covered. Seal the jar and let sit 2-3 minutes. Open jar, stir in scallions and ginger, and serve.

Let me know if you decide to try the recipe or discover any delicious variations. Here's to hoping this weekend I don't need to keep hand warmers in my pockets during the Revs match!

720 days later.

Well, hello.

720 days have passed since I last posted on this blog.

3 days ago, Google auto-renewed my payment for the asphaltkitchen.com domain registration, which I lazily neglected to cancel when I stopped updating the blog.

1 day ago, the New England Revolution played to a scoreless draw with the Montreal Impact in their 2015 MLS home opener at Gillette Stadium.

Is it a coincidence that today, for the first time in two years, I am inspired by the urge to start things up again? Probably not.

I quit posting back in 2013 because keeping a blog was starting to feel less like a fun hobby and more like a bothersome chore. Plus, I just couldn't seem to think of anything worth writing. But yesterday I woke up suddenly filled to the brim with things I want to say to the infinite internet! So, why not?

Stuff has happened in my life since I posted here way back in 2013.

I got married.

I followed the New England Revolution all the way to the 2014 MLS Cup Final in Los Angeles...

...And I kept making and sharing vegetarian tailgate fare along the way.

I won a fitness competition at my local YMCA, and grew some muscles in the process.

But I still love cake sometimes.

I went from begrudgingly running just to Beat the Blerch to gleefully running because it makes me feel fast, strong and free. I knocked over five minutes off my 5K personal record and finished three half marathons.

I have one last date count: There are 62 days until I attempt my very first marathon. 
Let's be honest. My close family and friends are pretty tired of hearing me yammer on about marathon training, and fitness, and cooking, and soccer. But the internet? You will listen! Well, I won't be able to see you rolling your eyes from behind my computer screen, anyway.